How we rate casinos
Every score on this site is a CC Index: a weighted composite of six subscores with public weights, computed the same way for all 12 casinos in the index. This page is the contract — if a listing ever contradicts it, the listing is wrong.
The CC Index: weights and what each subscore measures
| Subscore | Weight | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Trust & licensing | 30% | License verifiable on the regulator registry; named owning company; years of operating history; complaint patterns and how disputes resolved; jurisdiction honesty (clear restricted-country terms) |
| Payout speed | 20% | Automatic vs manual processing; stated and observed approval times; withdrawal limits; fee passing; manual-review clauses that can stall payouts |
| Bonus value | 15% | Expected real value after wagering math: multiplier, deposit+bonus vs bonus-only, game weighting, max-bet clauses, cashout caps, expiry. Wager-free structures score highest by construction |
| Games | 15% | Library size and provider quality; live-dealer coverage; in-house originals; sportsbook depth where offered |
| Support | 10% | Live-chat availability and competence; response times; whether terms are findable and readable |
| Fairness | 10% | Provably-fair implementation for originals; certified RNG (GLI/iTech Labs) for third-party games; published RTPs; T&C clauses we consider predatory |
Subscores run 0–10; the CC Index is the weighted sum, rounded to one decimal. The curve is deliberately hard: 9+ means we found essentially nothing to warn you about, 8–9 is excellent with specific caveats, 7–8 is good with real trade-offs, and below 7 means read the cons twice. Every review shows all six subscores — a casino that is brilliant at payouts and mediocre at support looks exactly like that, not like an averaged blur.
The verification protocol
Facts come from primary sources in this order: the operator's own terms and cashier pages, license registries, then corroborated public records. Each casino's fact-file records a last-verified date, displayed on every page that uses it. The re-verification cycle is 30 days; bonus terms and KYC clauses — the two things that change most — are re-read in full each cycle. Anything we cannot verify is phrased as the operator's claim ("advertises…") or removed.
What we do not yet do, and say so plainly: continuous real-money withdrawal testing with published transaction hashes. That program is the roadmap's next major item; until it ships, payout bands derive from processing mechanics and stated policy, not from marketing claims — "instant" in our tables means automatic processing, never just an operator's adjective.
Independence: how the money works
Casino Catalog earns affiliate commissions when readers sign up through our links — disclosed on every commercial page. Three structural rules keep that from touching scores. One: ranked lists sort by CC Index in code; there is no editorial override. Two: sponsored placements are clearly-labeled boxes outside ranked lists, never numbered positions. Three: commission rates are invisible to scoring — the fact-file schema has no field for them, so a reviewer cannot weight what the data model cannot express.
Corrections and score changes
When a re-verification changes a score or delists a casino, the change is logged with a date and reason. Found an error? Tell us — corrections ship within the same re-verification cycle, and material corrections update the page's visible date.
Frequently asked questions
Can a casino pay to improve its ranking?+
No. Ranked lists are sorted by CC Index and nothing else — the sort is enforced in the site's code, not by editorial choice. Paid placements exist only as clearly-boxed sponsored slots that are visually separate from ranked lists and never numbered.
Why is trust weighted at 30%?+
Because a casino holding your deposit is a counterparty risk before it is entertainment. License verifiability, ownership transparency, operating history, and complaint patterns predict whether you get paid — nothing else on the scorecard matters if that fails.
How often are scores updated?+
Every casino fact-file is re-verified on a 30-day cycle: bonus terms, KYC clauses, license status, and withdrawal policies are re-read from the operator's own documents. Material changes move subscores, and every listing displays its last-verified date.
Do you test casinos with real money?+
Structured deposit-and-withdrawal testing with published transaction evidence is on our public roadmap. Until that program ships, speed bands come from stated policies, processing mechanics, and corroborated player reports — and we label the basis of every claim honestly.